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We are continuing with the Zombie Takeover theme. A BIG, BIG thank you to author Tera Shanley and friends! Today we extend a warm welcome to T.A. Brock who is not only sharing a SUPER teaser from her zombie romance Brutal, but also Gram’s Cinnamon Roll Recipe.

I LOVE the aroma and taste of cinnamon and it is without doubt my favourite spice, so I am very tempted to whip up this recipe! Don’t forget to enter the super rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post where a $5 Amazon gift card is up for grabs, a signed copy of Tera Shanley’s Love in the Time of the Dead and e-books by Tera Shanley and T.A. Brock. Tina ❤

A Sweet Proposal and Gram’s Secret Cinnamon Roll Recipe

In Brutal, there is one especially unique marriage proposal. Our loveable, irresponsible zombie, Leiv, decides to break Riser Law and marry a human. If she’ll have him, that is. Armed with a cinnamon roll (which she is especially fond of) and a diamond ring, he attempts to convince Iraina Lukin to spend the rest of her human life with him:

Now, since Iraina’s love for cinnamon rolls came from her experiences with her beloved Gram’s, I’ve included the top secret recipe. See for yourself if Iraina’s claims that Grams’ cinnamon rolls have the “power to move mountains” is true!

To Make The Dough & Filling:

Combine milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute, then remove and stir. Continue heating in 20 second intervals, pausing after each to stir, until the butter is melted and the milk is warm to the touch but not hot. If needed, let the milk mixture sit for a few minutes until it is warm but not hot.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, sugar, and salt until combined. In the bowl of a stand mixer (*see note below for an alternative method of making this by hand*) fitted with the dough hook attachment, add yeast and lukewarm milk mixture and stir by hand to combine. Add the flour mixture and egg, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to form a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue beating for 5 minutes on medium-low speed. Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make your filling by whisking together sugars and cinnamon in a bowl until combined.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Then use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 14 x 9 inches in size. Spread the softened 1/2 cup of butter out evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Beginning at the 14-inch edge, tightly roll up the dough. And then give the final seam a little pinch so that it seals. Cut the dough into 11 or 12 equal pieces. (11 rolls seem to fit in a pie plate, while 12 rolls fit in a rectangular pan.)

Place each of the cut cinnamon rolls into a greased pie plate or 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Then cover again with a damp towel, and leave the dish in a warm place to rise for 25 minutes.

While the dough is rising, make the icing (instructions below). When the rolls have risen, uncover the dish. Then place on the center rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and cooked through. Remove and let cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle with icing and serve.

Make Icing:

Whisk together butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until combined. If the icing is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk to thin. If the icing is too thin, add a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar to thicken.

**If you do not have an electric stand mixer with a dough attachment, you can simply stir the ingredients together, and then knead by hand for 5-7 minutes.

Super Giveaway

Up for grabs are a $5 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Tera Shanley’s Love in the Time of the Dead and e-books of Love in the Time of the Dead and Love at the End of Days by Tera Shanley and Fatal and Brutal by T.A. Brock.

The Halloween Zombie Takeover continues!!!! In this week’s super giveaway a copy of the book Love in the Time of the Dead, by Tera Shanley, swag, and ebooks from both Tera and T.A. Brock are up for grabs! Also don’t forget to download Tera Shanley’s zombie themed romance Love at the End of Days – purchase link below. Tina ❤

Week Five: Zombies take over the world!

BRAIIIINNNS! It’s our final week of Halloween takeovers to celebrate Love At The End of Days by Tera Shanley, and this week we have bone-chilling swag and eerily amazing zombie books! Check out the Rafflecopter and enter to win!

It’s week number 4 of The special Zombie Takeover to celebrate Tera Shanley’s Love at the End of Days! This week the focus is very much on VAMPIRES and some super prizes are up for grabs in the Rafflecopter! Tina 🙂

HISS! It’s Week Four of our month long Halloween takeover to celebrate Love At The End of Days by Tera Shanley, and this week we have sinfully good books to win, featuring everybody’s favorite monster, vampires! Check out the Rafflecopter and enter to win!

Do you like the old-school blood suckers, the new, angsty vamps with a soul, or both?

As part of author Tera Shanley’s awesome Zombie Takeover to celebrate the release of book #2 in the Dead Rapture series, Love at the End of Days, Tera has once again dared to pay us a visit to share one of her most important survival tips – how to ensure that you have enough of the right food squirreled away. After all the last thing you want is to be tempted to leave the safety of your hideaway and venture out amongst the Deads and inadvertently succumb to their own flesh eating diet! You can also check out the link to Tera’s new release and enter a super giveaway where books by Amber Belldene, Jennifer DeLucy and Tera herselfare up for grabs. We extend a warm welcome to Tera and wish her a safe return. ❤

Survival Foods of the Zombie Apocalypse

A good many factors are going to become important if we ever were unfortunate enough to find ourselves in a zombie apocalypse. In addition to weapons and shelter, eventually, food is going to be an issue. When the Walmarts and Piggly Wigglys of the world are picked clean or filled with a shuffling horde of human chompers, what then?

Well, my friends, preparation is going to be key, and in a world where it’s survival of the fittest, we’re going to have to learn to collect and store food like a pack of winter-scared squirrels. Food won’t keep forever though, so here are a few ideas for snacks with long shelf lives.

Dry Pasta and Flour – Shelf life: 2-8 years

White Rice – Shelf life: 10 years

Canned Meats, vegetables and Fruits – Shelf life: 2-5 years

Coffee & Tea – Shelf life: 2-5 years

Dried Milk, Herbs & Spices – Shelf life: 2-5 years

Ramen Noodles – Shelf life: 2-5 years

Beans – Shelf life: 8-10 years

Soft Grains – Shelf life: 8 years

Hard Grains – Shelf life: 10-12 years

Alcohol (whiskey and vodka) – Shelf life: 10 years

Cornmeal – Shelf life: 8 months – 2 years

Salt – Shelf life: lifetime

Peanut Butter – Shelf life: 2-5 years

Sugar – Shelf life: lifetime

Wheat – Shelf life: lifetime

Baking Soda – Shelf life: lifetime

Dried Corn – Shelf life: lifetime

So, sexy survivalists, if you find yourself grocery shopping in the middle of a z-poc, mosey on past those perishables and load up on the foods that’ll keep you and your team of elite zombie fighters fed for years to come.

Love At The End of Days

The Apocalypse is coming… are you ready?

Romance and zombies collide in the riveting sequel to Love in the Time of the Dead.

Book Blurb

Year four into the Dead outbreak that ended the world and Vanessa Summers has been so burned by love, she swears she will never trust a man again. But Sean Daniels, guard leader of Dead Run River, isn’t just any man. When past lovers return to the colony, things get complicated. Desperate to rid herself of the heartache, Vanessa signs up for a supply run that will test her mettle as a guard in training. Sean volunteers to lead her team, and his hungry looks say it’s more personal than professional.

Danger comes from all sides as they scavenge Dead infested cities, and as her attraction for Sean deepens, Vanessa finds her head and heart at war with each other. He clouds her judgment, and any misstep could spell disaster outside of the safety of colony gates.

A race back to Dead Run River could save a team mate’s life, but trouble has been brewing back home. Laney Landry, the woman who broke Sean’s heart, is in trouble, and Vanessa must decide whether to take back the Denver colony beside the man she’s falling in love with, or bow out of an attraction that terrifies her.

Weathering Dead hybrids, betrayals, battles, jealousy, and soul consuming love, Vanessa must find her place in the team she’s found. And if she can, she might just master survival at the end of days.

Buy Links:

Author Bio:

Tera Shanley writes in sub-genres that stretch from Paranormal Romance, to Historic Western Romance, to Apocalyptic (zombie) Romance. The common theme? She loves love. A self-proclaimed bookworm, she was raised in small town Texas and could often be found decorating a table at the local library. She currently lives in Dallas with her husband and two young children and when she isn’t busy running around after her family, she’s writing a new story or devouring a good book. Any spare time is dedicated to chocolate licking, rifle slinging, zombie slaying, friend hugging, and the great outdoors. For more information about Tera and her work, visit http://www.terashanley.com.

Halloween Takeover!

Delightful Demons

GROWL! It’s Week Three of our month long Halloween takeover to celebrate Love At The End of Days by Tera Shanley, and this week we have dastardly good books to win: wickedly sexy bad boys and butt-kicking demon hunters! Check out the Rafflecopter and enter to win!

Which do you prefer: having Buffy-like skills to defeat the Big Bads, or do demons need love, too?

Giveaway

Click on the link and enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win 3 Ebooks: Crushed Seraphim by Debra Anastasia, Divinity by Patricia Leever, and Love In The Time of the Dead by Tera Shanley and some swag! Crushed Seraphim Pendent, temporary tattoo from Satan Jack, and signed bookmark.

Another big welcome to author Tera Shanley who has once again popped in to share some Zombilicious info with us as part of her month long Zombie Takeover to celebrate the release of Love at the End of Days. This week Tera tells us all about what the heroine Vanessa Summers keeps in her bag to keep the Deads at bay! Don’t forget to check out the super duper giveaway link at the end of the post where some fabulous prizes are up for grabs. Tina 🙂

Vanessa’s Bug-Out Bag Essentials

Every good Dead hunter understands the importance of a well-equipped bug-out bag. One that stays packed and can be grabbed at a moment’s notice. A backpack that contains anything the survivor would need in a pinch. Through Love at the End of Days, Vanessa Summers is learning how to take her life back from her fear of Deads by going through rigorous guard training. Here is a peek inside the bag that goes everywhere with her.

Extra throwing knives – Her weapon of choice is knives and she’s put in the time and practice to perfect her craft. It’s essential she not run out of blades while on the run, so if she’d running low, she has spares in her bag.

Canteen with iodine tablets – Water is important. Clean water is a must.

Tarp and rope – For a quick and easy shelter, tie the rope between two trees, drape the tarp over and anchor the edges with rocks.

Protein bars – Food is imperative for energy to escape the hordes. Protein is a must and these are easy to eat on the go.

What about you? Do you have anything else you would add to Vanessa’s bug-out bag?

Giveaway

Click on the link and enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win 3 Ebooks: Crushed Seraphim by Debra Anastasia, Divinity by Patricia Leever, and Love In The Time of the Dead by Tera Shanley and some swag! Crushed Seraphim Pendent, temporary tattoo from Satan Jack, and signed bookmark.